Preveiw of Primary Subject

North Carolina-based Guest Artist Killian Manning’s There was Morning and Evening, Another Day to music by Kit Weinart.

An aerial dance choreographed by newest company member Rachael Inman, performed with an unusual partner, a swing to music by Terry Riley.

A whimsical trio by Taryn Lavery to music by mum.

A frenzied duet, Mind Over Me, choreographed by Shellie Chambers to John's Book of Alleged Dances, a composition by John Coolidge Adams for string quartet and piano and performed by Kronos Quartet.

A collaborative work “I made something for you” in which dance artist Rhea Speights and musician Justin Wallace contribute to the original soundscore.

Closing out the program is Another Landscape, collaborative work by Lynn Bowman and Speights, featuring six dancers and music by Dirty Three. Another Landscape creates and recreates and creates again pictures and images inspired by the perpetual act of making art. The choreographers Lynn Bowman and Rhea Speights used various artists as jumping off points for this collaborative work including Vincent Van Gogh, Michael Corinne West, Marc Chagall, and Antony Gormley.

PreMoves: dances in progress

Have you ever wondered how a dance is created, what goes on in the studio before the performance, or what kinds of questions the artists ask as they create? Join Sanspointe April 17th to observe rehearsal, view a work in progress and chat with the artists about their process.

Join us at 3:30 on April 17th for PreMoves: dances in progress - an open rehearsal, and preview of new work Another Landscape choreographed by Lynn Bowman and Rhea Speights followed by a facilitated discussion with the artists.

This event is free to attend, but a reservation is requested at http://premoves.eventbrite.com.

Donations are welcome when you register above, at the event or anytime year 'round on our web site www.sanspointe.org. Your donation will support Sanspointe's 2010 Season, including Primary Subject and Dances Fall, and is tax-deductible. Thanks for your consideration.

You are also invited to join the company for class on April 17th from 1:00 until 2:30 at CDF Studios. Class is $10. Then, stick around to observe rehearsal and preview of Another Landscape.

Sanspointe will present Primary Subject May 13-16

Sanspointe is pleased to present Primary Subject May 13-16 at the CDF Studio Theatre in Birmingham, featuring new dance works choreographed by Alabama-based dance artists Lynn Bowman, Shellie Chambers, Rachael Inman, Taryn Lavery, Rhea Speights and North Carolina-based guest artist Killian Manning and new music by Justin Wallace.

Included in Primary Subject is Manning’s "There was Morning and Evening, Another Day” to music by Kit Weinart. Manning spent two weeks in Birmingham during the 2009 Holidays setting the work on six dancers. She is Artistic Director of No Forwarding Address, on the faculty at UNC-Greensboro in Communication Studies and teaches dance at the Ballet School of Chapel Hill.

Speights and Wallace will perform their collaborative work “I made something for you” in which the dancer and musician contribute to the original soundscore. Lavery is presenting choreography for the first time with the company, and Chambers has set a frenzied duet to music by John Adams.

Also featured in Primary Subject is an aerial dance choreographed and performed by newest company member Rachael Inman, cofounder of Fuzion Dance Artists based in Sarasota FL. She will perform with an unusual partner, a swing. Closing out the program is a 20-minute collaborative work by Bowman and Speights, featuring six dancers and music by Dirty Three.

Before the concert begins, the audience will enjoy live music 30 minutes before curtain by up-and-coming singer/songwriter Neil Couvillion. Couvillion will perform songs from his album Time Machine. Recorded with the help of some great musicians and friends, his sound has been described as a mix between Patty Griffin and David Gray.

Primary Subject is sponsored by Andress Engineering Associates, Inc. and Pilates on Highland. The performance is also made possible by grants from the Alabama State Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Sanspointe was founded by Michelle Hamff in 2003. Today, the company exists to provide choreographers and dancers with an opportunity to create new work, collaborate artistically and present high-quality modern dance performances for the community. Sanspointe presents two concerts of original and inventive choreography each year by local choreographers for audiences in its hometown of Birmingham, Alabama, and performs at events during the year around the Southeast.

Under the artistic direction of Shellie Chambers, Sanspointe is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization.Sanspointe’s members bring a diversity of interests, experiences and talents to the company. This unique fusion of artistic ideas and inspirations allows Sanspointe to constantly evolve and challenges its members and the audience’s expectations of what modern dance is.

Primary Subject will be performed in an intimate theatre setting at Children’s Dance Foundation’s Studio Theatre in Downtown Homewood (1715 27th Court South). Tickets, $12, can be purchased online at www.sanspointe.org. Seating is limited.

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Photos by Jim Willett

Poster by Kevin deMiranda

Sanspointe receives grant from ASCA

Sanspointe received a grant from The Alabama State Council on the Arts (ASCA) to present Primary Subject in May 13-16, 2010. Primary Subject will feature modern dance works choreographed by Lynn Bowman, Shellie Chambers, Taryn Lavery, Rhea Speights and guest artist Killian Manning. This is Sanspointe's first request and grant from ASCA.

Bowman, Chambers and Speights have choreographed for the company previously. This will be Lavery's first time to present her work with the company. Lavery is a 2008 graduate from The University of Alabama, where several other Sanspointe company artists also received their degrees, including Chambers, Speights and Founder Michelle Hamff.

Also featured in Primary Subject is Manning's new work, There was Morning and Evening, Another Day to music by Kit Weinart. Manning, who lives in North Carolina, spent two weeks in Birmingham during the Holidays setting the work on seven dancers. She will continue to work with the dancers until the performance remotely through video and email communications. She'll be back in May for the performance and to teach a master class open to the community.

Killian Manning is on the faculty at UNC-Greensboro in Communication Studies and teaches dance at the Ballet School of Chapel Hill. As Artistic Director of No Forwarding Address, she has received funding from numerous N.C. state and local arts agencies and was named "Best in The Triangle" in dance for four years. Killian has presented her award-winning choreography in Salt Lake City, Boston, Chicago, Birmingham, and North Carolina. She served on the dance faculty at UNC-Chapel Hill from 1989 to 1995, and has also taught at Radcliffe, the Boston Conservatory, Repertory Dance Theater School, and Samford University. Prior to that, she studied, performed, and choreographed in Boston from 1980-1987, where she was a member of Susan Rose and DanceWorks. Most recently she has enjoyed creating new dances at Durham Academy and the Carolina Friends School.

Sanspointe performs at Vestavia High School and The University of Alabama

On October 22, following performances of Dances Fall in Birmingham, we performed excerpts of Dances Fall at Vestavia High School (VHS). We were excited to perform for the second time to perform at VHS. We performed one a solo from Michelle Hamff's Neruda No. 5, Rhea Speights Trick or Treat Me Like a Fool, and Lynn Bowman's A Very Dry Spell for more than 600 fine arts students.

On October 27th, we spent a day in Tuscaloosa at The University of Alabama. Lynn Bowman taught class to dance majors in the morning. We spent the afternoon setting the lights in Morgan Auditorium for the full-length presentation of Dances Fall, observed by a class or two.

We presented Dances Fall at 7pm, including pre-show live music by Abram and Sarah. Following the performance, we had an informal Q&A with more than 20 dance majors about everything from the content of the dances to the business of running a dance company. More than half of our company artists are graduates from The University of Alabama, and we are always thrilled to go back and visit. This day-long residency was made possible by UA's Creative Campus.